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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. field — farmland
  3. board — a committee
  4. mug — a face
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rock — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — government
  13. field — for sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rule — a law
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. board — to get on
  21. mug — a cup
  22. drill — army training
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com